1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector, and in particular to a connector comprising a female housing and a male housing to be inserted and fitted into the female housing, and a locking mechanism enabling easy confirmation a proper fitting of the housings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In connectors including a female housing and a male housing to be inserted and fitted into the female housing, it is very important that the male housing be properly fitted into the female housing in order to establish electrical connection therebetween.
One of such conventional connectors is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Utility Model Publication No. 55-49433, which comprises a female housing 1 and a male housing 2 to be fitted to the female housing 1. In the female and male housings 1 and 2, there are provided a plurality of female and male terminals, respectively (not shown). The female and male terminals are arranged so as to be connected to each other when the female and male housings 1 and 2 are properly fitted together. On the male housing 2, there is provided a locking arm 3 which is flexibly supported thereon. A locking projection 4 is formed on the locking arm 3. On the female housing 1, there is provided a locking cover 5 with a locking aperture 6. The locking projection 4 and the locking aperture 6 are arranged so as to engage with each other by means of the restoring force of the locking arm 3 only when the housings 1 and 2 are properly fitted together.
In such a conventional connector, however, if the force for inserting the male housing 2 into the female housing 1 is insufficient, there is the unfavorable possibility that an imperfect fitting of the housings may occur, thus leading to a poor electrical connection between the female and male terminals. Namely, there is the possibility that an operator who is connecting the housings may misjudge an imperfect fitting to be a proper fitting.
As a connector that solved such a problem for conventional connectors, there is known an improved connector having a locking mechanism which can easily confirm whether the female and male housings are properly fitted together, and this connector is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 62-10885.
Namely, as shown in FIG. 2, the improved connector 10 comprises a female housing 11 and a male housing 12. The female housing 11 has a fitting space 11a therein into which a fitting section 12a of the male housing 12 is inserted and fitted.
On the upper surface 11b of the female housing 11, there is provided a substantially square locking cover member 13 through a hinge member 14 in such a manner that the cover member 13 is pivotingly rotated between a first position in which the cover member 13 overlaps the upper surface 11b of the female housing 11, and a second position in which the cover member 13 is rotated at an angle of about 180.degree. from the first position. On the underside of the cover member 13, there is formed an engagement portion 13a. The engagement portion 13a, which is formed from a plate-like member, is provided on the cover member 13 so as to protrude into the fitting space 11a of the female housing 11 through a slit 11c formed on the upper surface 11a of the female housing 11 when the cover member 13 is pivoted to the first position.
On the upper surface 12b of the fitting section 12a of the male housing 12, there are formed two locking projections 15 which lock with a locking portion (not shown) provided in the fitting space 11a of the female housing 11 when the male housing 12 is properly fitted to the female housing 11. Further, on the upper surface 12a of the male housing 12, there are formed two parallel guide portions 16 which are slidably guided by two guide recesses 11c provided in the fitting space 11a of the female housing 11. On each of the guide portions 16, there is formed a notch 16a. The notches 16a are arranged in such a manner that the engagement portion 13a of the cover member 13 will be engaged thereto only when the male housing 12 is properly fitted into the female housing 11.
According to this improved connector, before the male housing 12 is inserted into the female housing 11, the cover member 13 is in the second position, as shown in FIG. 3(A). When the male housing 12 is properly fitted into the female housing 11, as shown in FIG. 3(B), the cover member 14 is pivoted to the first position, thereby engaging the engagement portion 13a of the cover member 13 with the notches 16a of the guide members 16 of the male housing 12. However, as shown in FIG. 3(C), when the male housing 12 is imperfectly fitted into the female housing 11, the cover member 13 can not properly be pivoted to the first position because the engagement portion 13a is abutted on the guide members 16. As a result, an operator who is connecting the housing 11 and 12 will be able to perceive when the housings are not properly fitted together, and thus prevent the occurrence of imperfect fittings between the housings 11 and 12.
Although the connector 10 has the above-mentioned advantage, it is required to pivot the cover member 13 from the second position, in which the cover member 13 is opened, to the first position when the female and male housings 11 are to be connected, because the cover member 13 normally resides in the second position as shown in FIG. 3(A). This leads to the disadvantage that the cover member 13 may be damaged by being caught on any parts during the pivoting action of the cover member 13 from the second position to the first position.